Yanks Go Yard Interview With Scout David P.

Give the fans a little bit of your background. How did you end up in Japan?

My father was a businessman and the majority of my life was spent jumping around Japan, the US, and the Pacific Rim. Baseball was basically the only thing that I could connect with, especially since it was very difficult making friends jumping around the globe. I was fortunate enough to have an opportunity to get back to Japan and work for the Nippon Ham Fighters as an international scout and then joined a scouting agency that scouts international and local talent worldwide. It isn’t an easy job by any means, but if you have the passion for baseball there is nothing more rewarding than scouting.

There seems to be quite an influx of talent coming from Japan and Korea this year. Is this going to be more prevalent in the years to come? Who’s the next player fans in America should watch for?

Look out for an explosion of talent in the next few years in both Korea and Japan. The kids coming out from high school are more athletic than ever and their skills are much more refined than what I have noticed from similar age players in the USA. Work ethic is a very important aspect of the baseball regimen here and I haven’t seen the same level of discipline in American high school baseball.

I think Shohei Otani is the name that pops up as #1 on most lists that I’ve seen among baseball teams. The Red Sox were very close to landing the kid before the Fighters made the pitch of the century to keep him. Otani will be in the majors at some point (may take a few years) but the 160+ kph fastball, improving mechanics, projectable durability, and the ability to hit a baseball as well makes him a unique talent. He’s going to be seeing major dollars once he enters the posting process. Expect a bidding war of the ages.

I’m intrigued to see 25-year-old outfielder/first baseman Sho Nakata make the jump to the MLB. Big power, developing plate discipline and recognition. I think his skills and age would make him a very attractive option for MLB teams. He’s had a desire to play in the majors in the past and he’s also fond of the Yankees as well. He may just be the next big bat from Japan to come to the MLB.

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Who’s the one player coming from Japan and Korea the Yankees should target and why?

The Yankees should be players on Jung Ho Kang. I’ve had the pleasure to scout Kang a few times and I think he could stick at SS if his bat translates. His arm strength isn’t top notch, but a quick release makes up for it. His range is average and his hand eye coordination is above average. Kang has a high leg kick but maintains a good balance through his swing. A big question remains on how he handles better velocities, particularly on the inner half of the plate. I could definitely see him as a streaky hitter who could go on homer binges and then looks lost for a few weeks. An average shortstop with above average power, that sounds better than Eduardo Nunez right?

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What kind of impact will Kenta Maeda and Jung Ho Kang have in the majors?

Kenta Maeda projects to be a #3 or #4 and I think that’s very reasonable. He’s been a workhorse in Japan and his control is his bread and butter. His fastball (anywhere from 89-94) command is very good and his changeup could be very tough on major leaguers. I don’t think he has enough swing-and-miss potential in his arsenal to be projected higher. If you look at the most recent success stories from Japan, they’ve all featured one devastating pitch (Darvish’s slider and curve, Tanaka’s splitter, Iwakuma’s splitter). Maeda doesn’t feature any pitch that has that much potential. There are also major questions concerning his physical makeup and whether or not he can handle starting every fifth day. I don’t have the same confidence in Maeda as I did with Tanaka and Darvish when they made the move.

As I stated in the previous question, I think Kang could be an adequate SS as long as his hitting translates. An optimistic projection for Kang is a .250-.270 hitter with 15-20 homer power and in this day and age, that’s pretty darn good. We’ve lived with Jeter’s defense at SS and we’ve also survived the Eduardo Nunez experiment. Kang could be a risk worth taking.

Mandatory Credit: baseballamerica.com

Who’s the Yankees minor leaguer that will make a name for himself this year?

Luis Severino started to make a name for himself last year (along with 2B Rob Refsnyder). I think Jacob Lindgren will be the popular name in the system this year and he started to make a name for himself late last season. If I had to pick a position player, it’s SS Jorge Mateo. Oozing with talent and tools, Mateo could really explode this season and make a big name for himself in minor league baseball as a whole. I also believe Tyler Austin could be a force next season (if he can avoid injury). He was really turning it on last season after a slow start and I think there’s more to come with him.

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Who’s the one free agent that the Yankees should target and who should they stay away from?

A no-brainer would be Yoan Moncada. He’s exactly what the Yankees need which is a young stud infielder with superstar potential. He may not stick at SS but the Yankees need a second baseman, a shortstop, and a third baseman. Refsnyder is definitely an exciting prospect but Moncada could be a good option if Refnsyder doesn’t pan out defensively at second. Moncada brings flexibility for the Yankees at the cost of just a few bucks (in Yankeeland). The Yankees are set up to reel him in, especially considering the fact that they’ve handicapped themselves in the IFA for the next two seasons.

IMO there aren’t many players that the Yankees should stay away from at all costs this free agency. Sure there are some high cost free agents like Lester or Scherzer but they would bring value to a franchise that has missed the playoffs for two straight seasons. I don’t think the Steinbrenners want to miss the playoffs for three consecutive seasons and that pressure may just push them over the brink with one of these big names. The Yankees have for the most part held onto their minor league talent of late and adding an expensive free agent right now would buy them more time to develop talent rather than trade them away mid-season for an expensive veteran to patch up the team.